"Recipe adapted by Jamie Oliver.com"
Ingredients:
3 onions
Olive oil
25g unsalted butter (or use a plant-based alternative)
1 bunch of sage (20g)
500g veggie mince
2 x 400g tins brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 free-range egg (plus 1 extra if needed)
150g fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Marmite
100g Cheddar cheese (or vegetarian Cheddar)
1 x 180g packet cooked whole chestnuts
2 clementines
500g carrots
500g parsnips
Red wine vinegar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4
Peel and finely chop the onions
Place a large non-stick frying pan over a low heat
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter. Once the butter is sizzling, tear in the sage leaves and fry for about a minute until fragrant
Add the onions with a pinch of sea salt
Cook gently for around 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions are soft and sweet but not coloured
Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool
Once cooled, add the veggie mince, drained lentils, egg, breadcrumbs, Marmite and 50g of cranberry sauce
Drain and add the beans if using (optional, for extra texture), grate in the Cheddar, crumble in half the chestnuts and finely grate in the clementine zest
Use your hands to scrunch everything together really well until you have a sticky mixture that holds its shape
If it feels too dry, add another egg. If it feels too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs
Shape the mixture into a large loaf and place it in a large oiled roasting tray
Drizzle with a little olive oil
Wash the carrots and parsnips, halving or quartering any larger ones
Toss them around the loaf with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt and black pepper
Add the halved clementines to the tray
Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and baste the veggie loaf and vegetables with the tray juices
Squeeze the roasted clementine halves over everything
Loosen the remaining cranberry sauce with 2 tablespoons of boiling water, or add a splash of port or sherry if you like
Spoon it over the veggie loaf
Crumble over the remaining chestnuts, then return to the oven for another 25 minutes until golden and firm
Slice the veggie loaf and serve with the roasted carrots and parsnips, roast potatoes or mash, seasonal greens and plenty of gravy
Veggie Tip:
For a richer, more savoury loaf, add a handful of chopped walnuts or mushrooms when mixing the filling – they bring extra depth and help give the loaf a lovely hearty texture
